Commercial Space Support Vehicle Act

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, in calling up H.R. 4, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, this bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by every chair and ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

This bill is critical to our economy, to millions of Americans who work in aviation, and to hundreds of millions of Americans who use the system every year. H.R. 4 authorizes FAA programs through FY 2023.

This is a long-term bill, something that is overdue. Too often, our aviation programs face short-term extensions, CRs, and threats of government shutdowns. We are now operating on the fifth extension from the last long-term FAA law, which was signed on February 14, 2012.

Before the bill was signed into law, Congress passed 23 short-term extensions. This is an incredible amount of uncertainty for programs that rely on long-term stability. That uncertainty was one of the reasons I initially pushed for air traffic control reform, to separate the modernization of our system from the unreliable Federal budget process.

In that regard, this bill only maintains the status quo. I still strongly believe Congress must soon pass real air traffic control reform for the U.S. to finally develop the most modern, advanced aviation system in the world, and right now, we cannot claim that. The more we delay, the more we risk losing our position in the world as a leader in aviation.

So, while H.R. 4 does not contain all the reforms our system needs, it does contain other important reforms that must be implemented. For example, this bill cuts red tape in the certification process so our manufacturers can get products to market on time, stay competitive, and continue providing millions of American jobs.

It streamlines the regulatory process to encourage innovation and new technologies, like unmanned aircraft systems.

It provides critical funding for the AIP program and airport infrastructure across America.

It strengthens protections for passengers, and it addresses safety issues that have arisen in recent years.

The bill contains many good provisions, and I plan to offer a manager's amendment that provides additional improvements. That includes an additional safety provision in light of the April 17 Southwest flight 1380 engine failure.

I want to commend pilot Tammie Jo Shults for her absolute heroic performance after a catastrophic engine failure at over 30,000 feet. This was a prolonged emergency--not over in just a minute or two. For the next 15 to 20 minutes, with a hole in the cabin and believing that a passenger may have been completely sucked out, she calmly and expertly guided the plane to an emergency landing.

Tragically, one person died in the incident, but 148 people are alive today because of Captain Shults and her crew. She prevented what could have been a large tragedy. In my opinion, this is one of the most heroic performances by a pilot and crew in recent memory.

Strengthening our aviation system is only one of the reasons we need to pass today's legislation. H.R. 4 also includes the Disaster Recovery Reform Act, a measure that passed the House in December with overwhelming support, but it was not taken up in the Senate.

These provisions strengthen FAA's focus on predisaster mitigation, preparing our communities to better withstand the next hurricane, wildfire, flood, or other disasters. Building better and building smarter will save lives and lower the growing cost of disaster recovery. Investing more in mitigating disasters before they strike makes common sense.

This bill is a result of the hard work of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the bill sponsors, and many others. I want to thank Ranking Member DeFazio, Chairman LoBiondo, Ranking Member Larsen, Chairman Barletta, Ranking Member Titus, and the many other Members who worked on this legislation. I look forward to a good debate today and to moving this bill to the Senate.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC, April 17, 2018.

Hon. Kevin Brady,

Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means,

Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: On April 13, 2018, the Committee on

Transportation and Infrastructure introduced H.R. 4, the FAA

Reauthorization Act of 2018. The bill was referred primarily

to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, with

an additional referral to the Committee on Ways and Means.

I ask that you allow the Committee on Ways and Means to be

discharged from further consideration of the bill so that it

may be scheduled by the Majority Leader. This discharge in no

way affects your jurisdiction over the subject matter of the

bill, and it will not serve as precedent for future

referrals. In addition, should a conference on the bill be

necessary, I would support your request to have the Committee

on Ways and Means represented on the conference committee.

Finally, I would be pleased to include this letter and any

response in the Congressional Record during floor

consideration, to memorialize our understanding.

Thank you for your consideration of my request.

Sincerely,

Bill Shuster,

Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, it is my great privilege to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), the former chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

(Mr. YOUNG of Alaska asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Chairman, it is my great pleasure and honor to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo), my friend and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, who has been a tireless advocate for aviation safety efficiency, but who has also been a great partner on the committee to me and to the other members of the committee.

Also, I want to mention that--and I think this is accurate--he is the only Member of Congress who has a CDL, commercial driver's license, so he is in a very unique position to not only know and advocate for aviation, but also, on the ground, he knows how commerce moves.

Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Barletta), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.

Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time each side has remaining?

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith), the chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves), chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee of the full Committee of Transportation and Infrastructure, and the bleating voice on general aviation in Congress.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Knight).

I yield the gentleman from California an additional 15 seconds.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Gibbs).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Denham), the chairman of the Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee.

Mr. Chairman, I just have one more speaker, and then I am ready to close.

I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Posey).

Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Chairman, this is an issue that I know the gentleman from Florida cares deeply about and has been a champion for his constituents in the commercial space industry. I do commit to the gentleman to work with him as we move to advance this bill forward.

Mr. Chairman, I am prepared to close if the gentleman from Oregon is. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I encourage all Members to support this positive reauthorization of the FAA. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the manager's amendment. A vote for this amendment is a vote for positive change. A vote against it would be a real missed opportunity to make the bill better.

This amendment enhances the training of flight attendants so they are better equipped to deal with sexual misconduct. It also establishes working groups to develop best practices on how to address sexual misconduct on flights and improve airline employee training.

The amendment addresses an issue which is important to the traveling public and our constituents, and to each of us, in a thoughtful and respectful way.

The amendment adds to the provisions included in H.R. 4 to improve the air travel experience of disabled Americans. It establishes an Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights to clarify the rights of passengers with disabilities and the responsibilities of airlines and airports.

The amendment also strengthens the civil penalties for violations that involve injury to a passenger with a disability or damage to a passenger's wheelchair or other mobility aid.

Finally, the amendment will make it better for both passengers and service animals by harmonizing standards. This will provide much-needed clarity in an area where there is real confusion.

We worked closely with organizations representing persons with disabilities, as well as with the airline industry, and I want to thank all those who were willing to come to the table to make those improvements.

Last week, we witnessed a tragedy when an engine exploded in midair, killing a passenger. A far bigger tragedy was averted thanks again to the professionalism of the flight crew and to the pilot, which I talked about earlier.

The same airline experienced a similar incident 2 years ago, and while the FAA and industry have begun inspections, we must ensure that the airline engine safety is thoroughly assessed, and this amendment mandates a call to action to bring relevant people together to examine and address any risk associated with airline engines.

The amendment also requires a deep-dive study of general aviation. This sector of aviation has the highest number of accidents, injuries, and fatalities.

While general aviation safety has improved in recent years, in fiscal year 2016, there were still 213 fatal accidents and 379 fatalities.

We must improve the safety of the general aviation community. They share the skies with other airspace users and operate above our neighborhoods. We can and must do better.

Again, the amendment also provides for the direction on how the FAA should spend the additional general fund, operations, airport infrastructure, and F&E money in 2019 and thereafter.

It also revises the FAA authorization levels to reflect the updated CBO baselines for fiscal year 2018.

In response to the drone sightings around airports, the amendment makes counter-drone systems AIP eligible.

It makes improvement to the Airport Investment Partnership Program so that we can leverage private sector money for our airport infrastructure needs.

There are some good government reforms in here. The amendment repeals a costly mandate for aircraft avionics that have not yet proven to be beneficial. This will relieve a future burden on aircraft operators.

The amendment would bring certain FAA processes into the digital age and review agency practices.

Some other important changes are:

The amendment authorizes expenditures for commercial space transportation activities of the FAA;

It also requires better intra-FAA coordination on commercial space transportation's use of the national airspace and addresses the industry's support aircraft;

Commercial space transportation operators, like other users of the airspace, must coordinate and follow instructions of air traffic controllers;

Air traffic controllers keep us moving safely across this country, but they

also work in far-off places, including Guam. This amendment requires the FAA workers to work with the Department of Defense so that these folks and their families can get good medical care on the island of Guam;

Finally, the amendment establishes the Youth in Aviation Task Force to attract young people to aviation jobs. This is critical to ensure that our aviation system prospers in the years ahead.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment is a good amendment, it has bipartisan support and will improve the underlying bill. I urge all Members to support the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, our general aviation pilot.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 4, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.

I am pleased to be here today with the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Shuster; the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. LoBiondo; and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen), the ranking member.

This bill also includes important provisions of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act, something that previously passed the House and somehow escaped the attention of the Senate. We are sending it to them again in the hope they might notice if it is part of this package.

Last week was tragic: the first death on a U.S.-flagged passenger aircraft since 2009, and that just followed an alarming news story by ``60 Minutes'' a few days before about an FAA oversight of a low-cost carrier.

As a result, Ranking Member Larsen and I have sent a letter to the Secretary of Transportation demanding information on the oversight of the industry. We want to make sure that the FAA is being the watchdog that they need to be.

It was many years ago, after the horrible ValuJet tragedy, the committee had already rejected my amendment to say to strip away the promotional duty of the FAA. Then, after the horrible ValuJet crash, when it turned out it was an incompetent subcontractor to a maintenance station, a totally preventable accident, they suddenly decided to change their mind and decided to include my amendment and remove the promotional authority.

The FAA's principal duty is to protect the safety of the flying public, so we have got to be sure they are doing everything needed to do that.

There is an important provision in the bill, long overdue, to give flight attendants a 10-hour minimum rest. Think of the schedule now--8 hours: Oh, well, the plane landed. You have got to get off the plane. You have got to get out of the airport. You have got to get in a cab or a van. You have got to go to the hotel. You get to return, reverse all that around, and do that.

How much sleep are you going to get?

So, finally, we are going to get the 10-hour requirement--again, long overdue. Flight attendants are critical safety personnel on the airplane. They cannot be fatigued, just like a pilot can't be fatigued.

I have another concern that we are using computer simulations to meet the FAA standard for evacuation of a plane mandated in 90 seconds. As they jam more and more and more seats into these planes, I wonder if we have reached a point where we can no longer meet that standard, and we are going to have that. We are going to have the inspector general look at that topic and see whether or not we need to revisit it.

You know, it is critical that we be able to get people off as quickly as possible. The U.K. Civil Aviation Authority led this many years ago after the Manchester accident, with the spacing for the over-wing exit, something that took me 7 years to get done here. But they have also dropped in more strictures on hand baggage and other things and made that part of the briefing, which we don't get because we don't want to scare people. Well, we need to be letting people know that they can't take stuff with them if they have to evacuate quickly.

The FAA certification process, we have known for years, it needs reform, and this bill answers that call. It mandates a top-to-bottom reform of the process by which the FAA certifies new airplane engine and component designs. This will help our manufacturers become much more competitive in the world market and introduce their products more quickly to stay ahead of the market, but they will still be certified safe.

The bill also contains the text of the Flags of Convenience Don't Fly Here Act. There are some who would turn the airline industry into the cruise line industry, where planes would be crewed by the cheapest labor you can find somewhere in the world. It is being done already with contract crews out of Asia for a so-called European airline, Norwegian Air, and they are circumventing the process that the EU is bound to under our Open Skies Agreement.

The bill, unfortunately, lets stand something that Congress adopted in 2012, over my objections, which is to

say we cannot have a higher standard than the International Civil Aviation Authority on lithium batteries.

Lithium batteries are incredibly, incredibly dangerous on aircraft. We have already lost two 747s, and I will discuss this more when we get to my amendment.

It is time to remove the prohibition and let the FAA regulate as they see fit regarding lithium batteries and not bind ourselves to an international group that is captive of other special interests. Just eight lithium batteries can take down an aircraft in a thermal runaway. So that, we will discuss later.

This bill also, unfortunately, does not increase the cap on passenger facility charge. I would observe, flying a lot, that there are more and more and more tarmac delays because: I am sorry, your gate is occupied. Oh, the alley to the gate is full of planes. Oh, this, that.

A lot of airports are bonded out. We haven't allowed them, since 2000, to increase the passenger facility charge, and so we are going to continue to have those delays. Until they can build larger terminals and they can build more gates, that is going to continue.

We are also putting in some new mandates on the airports, which I support in this bill, having to do with pets and changing rooms and those sorts of things; but, again, we are not allowing them to get any increase in revenues to meet these new Federal mandates. I haven't given that up, but, obviously, we are not going to get it in this bill.

You know, NextGen will be all for naught. NextGen is progressing well, despite what some say, but if we don't have enough terminals and gates at those terminals, as the former Administrator Randy Babbitt said:

We can land them with closer spacing, we can do everything

in the world, but at the end of the day at La Guardia Airport

when it is a one-runway operation, you can still only land

them once every 54 seconds.

There are physical limits on the ground all around the country. Even if we enhance air traffic movement, avoiding weather and all that, we are going to be constrained at the airports unless the airports have what they need to make these investments.

There are a number of amendments that will improve safety and efficiency, and I look forward to discussing those here on the floor.

There is one amendment which is cropping up in this bill that relates to trucking. The gentleman from California (Mr. Denham) will offer it. It has been offered before in the House. It has never gone anywhere in the Senate. I predict the same thing will happen here.

The bottom line is there is an issue from a court case that could be solved with a rifle shot, so to speak, regarding interstate commerce. Instead, despite what the proponents have told Representative Denham and others, this language would preempt every single State wage and hour law that pertains to trucking in the United States of America. The only strictures would be the Federal hours of service and the Federal minimum wage. The rest would be wiped out by this amendment because of the unfortunate language. There is a real underlying problem, and it could be solved much more discretely.

But beyond that, this is a great bill.

I again thank the chairmen of the full committee and subcommittee, the ranking member, and other members of the committee.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo).

Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I certainly support the amendment offered by the gentleman. He listed a number of provisions. I don't want to be repetitive, but I think the call to action regarding uncontained airliner engine failures is critical. That is actually the second uncontained failure of that engine with Southwest Airlines in 18 months, which means that somewhere turbine blades are not a life- limited part. There is something amiss in the manufacturing process, and we need to get to the bottom of that.

We also need to be sure that the proper testing is being done to ensure their integrity as the planes continue to fly.

It also has some language regarding incidents of sexual misconduct on flights I support, but I am preparing and will offer a broader stand- alone provision bill on that subject in the near future.

It modestly increases funding levels for aviation programs and includes a $1 billion annual infusion from the general fund for certain AIP projects, principally for small airports in rural communities.

This falls far short of meeting the needs of all airports and all the gates and terminal work we need, as I mentioned earlier in discussing the lack of a PFC in this bill.

Finally, it creates a newly named position in the FAA, that would be chief technology officer. Currently, the department administrator acts as the chief technology officer. So I am not quite certain what that accomplishes, but I will certainly look forward to monitoring that position and the progress and reports on NextGen that that person produces in the near future.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel), a member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Mr. Chairman, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 4, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.

I am pleased that Congress is here today to consider a long-term bill to reauthorize the FAA. This moment has been a long time in coming. Congress has not enacted a long-term FAA bill since 2012, and it is currently running on its fifth extension since that time.

We are here to consider a comprehensive, bipartisan piece of legislation that provides long-term, predictable funding for the FAA, improves aviation safety, addresses workforce needs, and advances vital research in the aviation field.

Whether large or small, airports across the United States play an important role in communities by connecting people, goods, services, and creating jobs. In Washington State, my constituents rely on airports of all sizes. In my hometown of Arlington, general aviation at Arlington Municipal Airport is vital, and the annual EAA fly-in brings in people from all across the country.

Bellingham International Airport in northwest Washington is a developing airport, which requires further investments in terminal and operations infrastructure to help keep pace with passenger demands.

Paine Field Airport in Snohomish County is a growing hub in the Pacific Northwest, with the construction of a new terminal and expanded air service expected later this year.

Each of these airports plays a different, yet important, role in serving the local community and the national aviation network.

The bill reflects Congress' consensus to reform FAA's aircraft certification processes, improve aviation safety, provide additional protections for U.S. passengers, and help to better prepare the aviation workforce and further the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace.

One of the most important things this bill does is to make FAA's certification process more streamlined, consistent, and efficient, while maintaining the highest level of safety.

The U.S. aviation industry is an economic powerhouse. It is particularly important to my home State of Washington. In our State, general aviation, alone, contributes an estimated $3.6 billion to the economy and more than 30,000 jobs a year.

Without question, predictable and timely certification of aircraft and aircraft components is critical for domestic manufacturers to get their products to market. These reforms are desperately needed to allow U.S. aviation manufacturers like my constituents in Everett, who are, as well, smaller contractors, to compete globally.

This bill ensures that FAA's product certification remains the gold standard abroad, as well, so that U.S. manufacturers remain competitive.

As passenger growth continues, Congress must ensure airports have the right tools in place to safely accommodate this new demand.

The bill makes a host of improvements to make our skies safer, including:

Ensuring the FAA safety workforce is utilized efficiently and receives enhanced training;

Strengthening the FAA's current voluntary safety reporting program for pilots so that critical safety enhancements are not needlessly delayed;

Making progress toward NextGen implementation through engagement with local communities and airports in the process;

Improving the Federal Contract Tower Program to allow airports to make investments in their critical infrastructure; and

Ensuring flight attendants have sufficient rest between duty periods.

It also includes numerous provisions that enhance the air travel experience for more than 900 million passengers who fly each year, including:

A prohibition on airlines involuntarily bumping passengers after they have boarded;

A prohibition on the use of cell phones for voice communications during flight; and

A requirement for airlines to create a one-page document outlining the rights of passengers, which will bring much-needed transparency to this industry.

One of my top priorities is to ensure working families in the Pacific Northwest get a better deal, which means expanding opportunities, creating more jobs, and making sure that the next generation of workers have the tools necessary to succeed.

This bipartisan bill that my colleagues and I have agreed to will protect and create American jobs through airport construction and aerospace manufacturing, ultimately boosting the Nation's economy. As an example, the Port of Skagit is focused on expanding the Skagit Regional Airport and is working to build a new hangar and longer taxiing runways. These improvements are not only for safety, but will create well-paying jobs in construction.

Further, the Career Connect Washington initiative aims to connect more than 100,000 students, over the next 5 years, with career-focused learning opportunities, building a bridge from school into high-demand and good-paying jobs. Across my district, nearly 900 young adults participating in this initiative have connected to apprenticeships, job shadows, or other structured work-based activity.

This bill builds on these efforts to better prepare students for the aviation workforce by:

Encouraging schools, industry, and other stakeholders to address the skills gap in the aviation maintenance field; and

Requiring a GAO study of best practices to incentivize, recruit, and retain new aviation workers.

I am pleased that the bill includes my proposal to create a Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force. This task force will work with aviation trade schools and community colleges, airline carriers and industry, labor unions, and other relevant stakeholders to develop recommendations to encourage high school students to enroll in aviation manufacturing, maintenance, and engineering apprenticeships.

This legislation includes a title on unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, which are flourishing in the skies at a pace we did not imagine just a few years ago. Provisions in the current bill will help the commercial drone industry safely thrive, while also addressing the many issues these new users present as they become integrated into U.S. airspace.

Finally, this bill enacts a multiyear reauthorization, Mr. Chairman, of aviation taxes and FAA expenditure authority. This will provide the stable, predictable funding needed to carry out its safety mission and ensure the FAA remains the world leader in aviation research and development.

While these are all positive areas to address, I understand that some amendments on slot exemptions and slot swaps have been made in order that would have regional consequences. I oppose these efforts and believe it would be better to have a more substantive discussion to address these issues in the committee.

Mr. Chairman, we have the biggest, most complex, and busiest aviation system in the world. We are years past due in enacting a long-term FAA reauthorization that will allow the U.S. to remain the gold standard in aviation. I am pleased to cosponsor this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio, as well as Chairman LoBiondo, for their work on this bill.

I know Mr. LoBiondo is leaving Congress this year, and we may get a better Democrat or a better Republican in that seat, but we will not get a better Representative for this Congress in that seat than Frank LoBiondo.

Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Washington, D.C. (Ms. Norton).

I yield the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Shuster for yielding.

I rise in very strong support of H.R. 4, the reauthorization bill.

The Subcommittee on Aviation began the reauthorization process over 3 years ago, a very long process. In that time, we have held a series of roundtables and hearings on the state of the FAA's certification and safety processes, regulatory efforts, airport grant programs, customer service, and the air traffic control system.

The subcommittee also had more than 200 stakeholder meetings in order to gather feedback and hear from various constituencies to understand what would work in the real world--not what 535 Members of Congress may think, but to get input from the people who have to make it work every day.

I want to thank those who came to the table willing to share their thoughts and to work together with us.

With the passage of H.R. 4, we will be taking an important step toward ensuring the FAA and our aviation industry does not suffer through another long series of extensions.

Unfortunately, it seems like just about every year Congress is voting to keep the government open, while the FAA and nearly 4,000 of the FAA's incredible employees, who are my constituents working at the Technical Center in Egg Harbor Township, which is at the Atlantic City Airport, are forced to make preparations in case they have to shut down.

Now, just so everybody understands, when we do an extension, we generally don't act on it until the last minute. These dedicated employees, these engineers in these laboratories that only exist at this Tech Center, are forced to stop their work and prepare for a shutdown. This costs a tremendous amount of dollars each time we do this. Hopefully, with the passage of this bill, we will be able to avoid that.

H.R. 4 also provides the long-term authorization of the FAA, which will allow us to avoid the shutdowns and these threats of shutdowns. This means that important safety projects will be

able to move forward without the inefficient starts and stops and they come without any hesitation, as we have seen in the past.

Most importantly, FAA employees, including, again, dedicated employees of my Tech Center--now, just keep in mind, this is the premier facility in the Nation for safety, security, research, and development. As I mentioned before, these laboratories don't exist anywhere else. Many of these engineers' expertise doesn't exist anywhere else. This will enable them to help keep the United States premier in the world.

Mr. Larsen referenced our position in the world. We don't want that challenged. We want this bill to be able to allow us as an economic driver. When you start looking at the numbers of what aviation means to the economy of the United States, you get an understanding of how critically important this is.

We have worked closely with a number of constituency groups, and I think we have included their provisions in this bill.

I want to point out that some of these battles take a while. And very diligently and very forcefully, the flight attendants have made their case for the 10-hour rest period. As mentioned by Mr. DeFazio, this is something that we don't want flight attendants being fatigued no more than we want pilots being fatigued.

Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Shuster for including this in the bill.

Mr. Chair, as we move forward, I want to particularly thank Rick Larsen, who has been a great partner. For those who may not be aware, Rick and I have been together first through the Coast Guard and Maritime Subcommittee and now through the Aviation Subcommittee. I think the relationship that we have and what we have been able to do is a model that can and should be worked for the rest of Congress. It is one that I cherish and value. And, Mr. Chair, I thank Mr. Larsen again very much.

Mr. Chair, I also want to thank Peter DeFazio for being a good partner and thank Bill Shuster for helping me become Aviation chair 6 years ago, putting his faith in me. I think we have had a great partnership. Mr. Shuster has been a great leader in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. I value our relationship. I value our work together.

Mr. Chair, I urge everyone to support this bill. I think it is going to move America forward.

Mr. Chairman, I proudly rise today to support the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. There are a lot of important policies in this bill that I worked on, but the main thing I am glad to see included is that we accomplished this bill as a long-term bill, a 5-year authorization.

Passing long-term bills is something that the chairman has remained committed to during his leadership on the committee and is a policy I strongly support. Unfortunately, we don't see enough of that in Congress that much anymore.

One of the big highlights of the bill is the long-overdue reforms to the FAA certification process, and the committee has developed bipartisan reforms that are going to streamline the FAA certification.

Mr. Chairman, I had previously worked on the precursor reforms to this process with the passage of the bill, the Small Airplane Revitalization Act, back in 2013, and I look forward to seeing the benefits of these reforms be applied more broadly to the aviation manufacturing community as certification reform provisions contained in the FAA bill go into effect.

Additionally, there are a lot of policies that we worked on, that I worked on, in the underlying bill. And just to run through those quickly: expansion of the State block grant authority from 10 to 20 States; allowing greater testing of replacement fuels for AvGas; restoring the ``all makes and models'' certificate to experimental category

aircraft; extending aircraft registration from 3 to 10 years, which I might point out, it currently takes the FAA at least a month to process paperwork to register or re-register an aircraft.

We also asked the FAA to resolve disputes between approved airshows and major sporting events that require flight restrictions.

We also worked on an important policy to prevent the local and State governments from targeting certain industries for discriminatory taxes, like the rental car industry.

And finally, we correct a poorly written guidance document which hurts folks who are pursuing aircraft construction projects. FAA wanted to restrict aircraft construction projects from individuals' hangars unless it was in the final stages by claiming it was not the ``aeronautical use'' of a hangar, which makes absolutely no sense and, clearly, this decision was not made with the understanding of how these projects work. This needs to be corrected.

In closing, Mr. Chairman, I have been a pilot, a professional pilot for virtually my entire life, and I have been interacting with people in the aviation community for more than two decades now. I understand the issues that face the industry.

When we talk about FAA reauthorization, I think about ensuring all those who rely on our aviation system can continue flying safely, securely, and freely. America has always been a leader and pioneer when it comes to aviation since the days of the Wright Brothers, and I want to ensure that continues. To do so, we have to continue to look for opportunities to incorporate technology into our infrastructure network.

I look forward to further advancing these goals in other areas of transportation as the committee works on an infrastructure bill later this year.

Mr. Chairman, I strongly support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for his work on putting together a long-term bill.

Mr. Chairman, one of the priorities which was included in the manager's amendment is a program to invest in our small airports.

As part of the increased investment in transportation programs that was provided in the fiscal year 2018 omnibus, we provided an additional $1 billion to the FAA in discretionary grants to small airports. Now airports across the country are going to have the opportunity to compete for additional dollars to carry out the larger projects.

We also have some very important accountability measures. As such, we are asking to review all the FAA's efforts to date on NextGen. This is pure and simple accountability to ensure our tax dollars are being spent to execute the important goals of NextGen.

Mr. Chairman, I ask all of my colleagues to support the manager's amendment, obviously, and the underlying bill. This is a good bill.